The present invention relates to an assembly for assisting in the raising of a tailgate for a vehicle and specifically one employing a spring mechanism.
There have been a variety of suggestions for assisting in the raising of tailgates in vehicles, such as pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, or vans, where tailgates can be relatively large and heavy, requiring considerable force to raise them from an open to a closed position. Prior efforts to facilitate the raising or tailgates have included a variety of torsion bars coupled between the vehicle body and tailgate, gas assist springs coupled between the body and the tailgate, and spring and/or lever mechanisms which couple the tailgate to the body of the vehicle. In many cases, these members are exposed to the elements and subject to premature failure as a result. Also, many of these proposals provide mechanisms which are in an area which physically impedes access to the vehicle storage area when the tailgate is lowered. Many tailgates can be removed by tilting and lifting from the vehicle body and several such prior art tailgate lift assist mechanisms prevent such easy removal.
Thus, there remains a need for a tailgate raising assist mechanism which is robust, does not interfere with access to the vehicle storage area, and which can be protected from environmental conditions.